The importance of being a Cat
by aiwa
Summary: Sometimes things you have in front of your eyes cannot be seen... but what if being a cat can change everything? ONESHOT please read and review HXH


The Importance of Being a Cat

_This is a reply to a challenge on Portkey, hope you'll leave a comment or a review, please_

- Oh, and who are you? - asked Hermione looking right in the green eyes of the little black cat that was standing in the middle of the Common Room.

Obviously, and naturally the animal didn't reply. It was just standing there, looking quite puzzled.

- You seem lostâ€ but I bet someone is looking for youâ€- she said picking it up with no fear and starting to search for the owner.

Quite perplexed and tired, after an hour of searching, she sat on the couch, the cat still staying quiet in her arms.

- Sorry, I guess you're quite bored of meâ€- she said setting him free. He just stretched a little, but still stayed by her side, looking quite quizzically at her.

She was staring quite intensively back.

- You have a scar. - she noted horrified.

- I can't believe someone did hurt you. - she protested petting it.

- You got to be a maleâ€ am I right?-

Willing to discover if the supposition was true, she tried to pick it up, but the cat started moving frantically as if knowing what she was going to do.

She let him down.

- I guess you areâ€ really susceptible about the matter, though.-

The cat turned his back on her and started to walk away in a quite messy way.

- hold onâ€ what happened to you? You look drunk.-

He didn't listen to what she was saying, but went on moving.

Well, at least until it stumbled and almost fell off the couch. Secure and soft, Hermione's arm got him saved.

- you must have some problem with your eyesâ€ I've never seen a cat with eye-problems. You sure are special.-

The kitty just began again to stare at her, as if in deep thoughts.

- I wonder where did Harry go.- she mused while laying down on the couch with the cat on top of her. She liked the contact with his soft fur, and started petting him.

- you don't have to worry, you can stay with me, if we don't find your ownerâ€ I guess Crookshanks will be jealousâ€ but I believe he will like you, too, you're so cuteâ€-

The cat started feeling dizzy, with all the petting and love she was demonstrating to him. He laid down, too, on her chest, and unconsciously he started purring. Hermione quite satisfied by that smiled softly.

- I know I'm selfish, but I wish you could stay with me.-

The animal upped his head and looked at her blinking various time. Then it came back to the previous position, but now purring in a lighter way and keep looking at her softly.

- If I didn't know better, I would say you're happy to hear it.-

As a reply he groaned and stretched on her chest for a while.

- eheh, you want more space, uh?-

But then he rolled back in a really catlike position and closed his eyes happily.

Ron woke her up a couple of hours later, she fell asleep while petting the cat who was now on the couch, close to her face, his wet nose nearly touching her.

She smiled.

- I guess I moved too muchâ€-

Then she noticed Ron. He had a preoccupied look on his face.

- what happened?- she asked getting up.

- where's Harry?- she continued getting worried.

- that's why I woke you up.- he answered.

- why? He's not in the dorm?-

- no.-

- Where is he?- she said nervous.

- I have no ideaâ€ he was here before dinner, studying transfiguration and now he's goneâ€ I haven't seen him since six o'clock, I thought he was around, but it's one a.m. and he didn't come to bed at allâ€-

- oh myâ€-

- he has not been kidnapped, or the fat lady would have seen someoneâ€-

- did you ask her if she saw him?-

- yes, she said he didn't leave.-

- soâ€ unless he used the Cloak he should be in hereâ€-

- yeah, but nowhere to be seen.-

Hermione noticed something at that moment, Harry's book were on the table near the fireplace. She looked at them, still open as if he was about to come back in a matter of minutes.

She realized now that the cat was nervously running around her feet, stumbling over some objects he didn't see but then getting up and running again.

- what's up with you?- she asked getting him up. She saw at that moment Harry's glasses on the floor. Then she understood.

- it's you. You transfigurated.- she shouted. Ron looked at her surprised.

- it's not possible.- he commented.

The cat started to purr in affirmation, getting towards her face and beginning to rub against her skin. She blushed. It was Harry who was doing this to her? It was really embarrassing at the though, but she couldn't say she didn't like it.

- stop for a sec.- she said and the cat froze, realizing how inconvenient was for him to keep doing something like that to his best friend.

She put him down on the couch and went to look for something in Harry's bag.

- oh, here it is.- she said getting the magic board out.

She transfigurated a pen into a lens useful for the matter and put it on the board, then let everything lay on the couch near the cat, who immediately started moving towards it, with a curious look in the eye.

It took some time for him to get used to moving the lens through the letters, but he was a fast learner.

Hermione took a parchment and began to write the letters he was stopping to.

"it's me"

- I told you.- she exulted.

Ron stared incredulous.

- why are you like that?- he asked.

- wait. Short-answer question. Have you turned into a cat like an Animagus?- she asked.

"yes."

- and you can't turn back?-

"I don't know"

- you don't know how.- she completed granting him a pause: - that's pretty a good problem. We should ask McGonagal.

- wait a minute, wasn't he supposed to transform in a reindeer or something with horns, or was it hartshorn? Like the Patronus, I mean.- protested Ron.

Hermione shot a freezing look at him.

- evidently no. Ron. As you can see. It's a cat, not a stag as his Patronus.-

- but it's all cute and stuffâ€ wasn't he supposed to be scary?-

- it doesn't work like that.- she said smiling and shaking his head.

"don't go"

He was writing, capturing their attention.

"to McGonagal."

- Why? She might be the only one to help you.-

- he's rightâ€ he will punish him.- intervened their friend.

- yeah, but he's stuck like this.-

"turn"

- turn?-

"the"

- he's trying to say something.- declared Ron.

Hermione sent him a sarcastic look but then just went on watching Harry moving clumsy.

"page"

- the page?- said Hermione, she then looked at the book he left open on the table, it was at the end of the volume, in a really advanced part. It was really surprising that Harry got that much done by himself, but then again he turned into a cat, and a really cute cat (everything was in his right place), so he must have been really trained for that.

She turned the page, it was the end of the chapter, several formulas but one sentence in bold character.

- do you want to see this?- she asked picking him up and putting him on the table.

She took his glassed and helped him read placing them in front of him.

While he was concentrating deeply, she got a weird feeling pressing in her stomach.

She wasn't to see him like that for a long time if he changes back.

Suddenly she leaned down and kissed the top of his head, he turned to face her. She blushed. He then rubbed gently his cheek on hers, as if he knew that things, when he would be back to normal, will not be that simple.

But he wanted to turn back, mostly because he was seeing things in a really different way.

He came again to the page and finished reading.

Hermione had just the time to put the glasses down that Harry got back in his real form.

They stared at him blankly.

- thank god you didn't changed back naked.- said Ron giving him a quick friendly hug.

- well, I took care of that.-

- whoa, you got really advanced.- replied his friend.

- it wasn't that difficult, luckily.-

The girl was watching them a step back.

A mixture of feelings was running through her veins. She never thought she would feel such affection to Harry. Yeah, he was always the first one she would worry about, the first one she would help, or die for, she even wondered if she liked him some times, but now she was almost falling for him.

And that because he was able to transform into an adorable pet? Or just because he was so gentle and warm with her? There was no reason, she just knew.

- Thank you for your help, Herm. I really own you this time.-

She smiled, blushing. How was she supposed to go on if she was reacting like that even in such an easy-going situation?

- it just gets added to the long list.- she teased him.

- I must admit, it is true. I have a lot of debts, can't I do anything for you?-

He looked really troubled, so intensively worried about what his feeling were turning into. He was craving to be in her arms again. So protective. So gentle.

- well, you can buy me a kitty, I was getting used to have one for myself.-

- you have already Crookshanks.-

- yeah, but kitties are so cute.- she said jokingly.

He stared at her for a while.

- Ron, can you leave us a second?- he asked his friend suddenly.

- mm? Uh? Ohâ€ yeah, I'm heading back to bed, I guess.- he said embarrassed. What do they have to talk about without him?

Even with his doubts, and a hint of jealousy, he set off to the Dorm.

- what is it? Something's wrong?- asked Hermione worried.

- well, not really.-

- do you have to talk to me about something?-

- yes.-

- what is it?-

- it is not easy.-

- do you want to use the magic board again?- she joked smiling.

- well, it would be a lot easier than before.-

- it must have been scary to get stuck like that without knowing what to do.-

- well, you helped, andâ€ well, it was not that bad.-

- that's good. You really are getting powerful. To become an Animagus is not something that common.-

- it's not that hard.-

- how come you transformed without knowing how to change back?-

- well, I thought I knewâ€ and thenâ€ I guess I got too excited about it.-

She giggled.

- Hey, don't laugh at me, it wasn't such a good experience, I would have risked a lot if you had reported me to McGonagalâ€-

- I guess you have to find a way to fix your eyes while in Cat-form, or your transfiguration won't be that useful.-

- you guess right. I will ask Professor McGonagal about that.-

- you really looked like a lost puppy.-

- I'm glad you found me, then.-

- no problemâ€ I would have not been that affectionate if I knew it was you.-

- why?- he asked with a hurt look.

She blushed.

- well, you're human.-

- so I don't deserve?-

- no, it just can get misinterpreted.-

- oh.-

He paused in a seemingly suffering position.

- I felt really happy.-

She looked at him puzzled.

- when you held me near your heart. I understood a lot of thingsâ€ and I guess it was the first time that I understood you a little better.-

- ohâ€ that is goodâ€- she hesitated. She wasn't sure about what he was heading for: - but why do you say that?-

- I wanted you to know.-

- ohâ€ errâ€ wellâ€ Thanksâ€ I hope there's not something wrong about meâ€-

He smiled, shaking his head.

- do you want to go to bed?- she asked thinking the discussion was over.

- you don't want to listen to me?- he asked with a strange look on his face.

- oh, sorryâ€ I thought it was thatâ€ what you wanted to say, I mean.- she replied more embarrassed than ever., really getting nervous, now. She wasn't doing anything good, too worried about being in the same roomâ€ when did it start to be a problem?

He looked at her musing. He figured he was making her feel out of place.

- what I'm trying to say is that I think I wantâ€ wellâ€ I'mâ€- he couldn't say it.

Well, maybe he could act.

He walked quickly towards her, embracing his hands around her beautiful face, he leaned towards her and kissed her gently.

Then he stopped, his heart beating so fast.

Even if fearful of rejection he rubbed his cheek on hers, to place then again a humble kiss on her lips.

- am I doing something you don't like?- he asked trembling.

She fixed her eyes in his.

- it depends on why you're doing it.-

- because I want to be with you.-

- really?-

- really.-

- why?- she asked perplexed.

- because I love you.-

- I never thoughtâ€-

- I never thought it too. I just found out.-

- I guess it is good timing.-

- why?-

- secret.-

- you're going to leave me and break my heart?- he asked. His hands were shaking.

- no way.-

- really?-

- really.-

- why?-

- because I just discovered I am in love with you.-

- wasn't that a secret?-

- I guess it is not, not anymore at least.-

She got on her tiptoe and kissed him again, happily asking for more, and hugging him.

He felt finally less tense, so glad she was now holding him, for a second he even thought she would have never do it again the way she did while he was a cat. So glad. So happy now.

- I won't buy you another cat.-

- oh, that's not nice.

- I would be too jealous.-

- oh, you're that selfish?- she joked.

- I want you to hold me like that forever. With no other cats on my way.-

She smiled.

- it's ok to me.-

- sometimes I will turn into a cat againâ€ so I can sleep with you the way I did before.-

She blushed.

- you're not allowed to do that, you know.-

- No one will know it's me. - He giggled.

THE END

_I don't own any Harry Potter character._


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